Can opener



1,492,968 May 19.24 J. DONNELLY v CAN OPENER Filed May 14. 1923 PatentedMay 6, 1924.

UNITED ST innea JOHN DCNNELLY, 0F BRANFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed May 14, 1923.

To all wh m it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DONNELLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Branford, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Can Openers;and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and the characters of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear. and exact description of the same, and which saiddrawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in

Fig. 1, a plan view of a can opener constructed in accordance with myinvention.

Fig. 2, a side view, partly in section, of the same.

Fig. 3, a side view of the handle, detached.

Fig. 4., a side view of the combined ferrule and fulcrum, detached.

Fig. 5, a side view of the blade, detached.

This invention relates to improvement in can openers. Most can openershave a metal. loop-like handle, but these are somewhat objectionable, asthey cannot be grasped with sufiicient power without hurting the hand. Adesirable form of can opener has a wooden handle, but difficulty isexperienced in mounting the cutter in the handle in a manner capable ofwithstanding the strain imposed upon it. The object of this invention isto provide a wooden-handled can opener which can be produced at a lowcost for manufacture and which will be suffic'iently strong. towithstand strains imposed upon it, and the invention consists in theconstruction as hereinafter described and particularly recited in theclaims.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a handle 10, formed from woodturned to the desired conformation. This handle is formed with a reducedneck 11, divided transversely to form a slot 12. The cutting blade 13 isof substantially the usual form, but provided with a shank 14 adapted toenter the slot 12 and having its pointed end 15 driven in to the end ofthe handle, beyond the slot. Around the neck and shank is a tube 16, cutaway on one side to form a fulcrum 17. The inner end of the tube closelyfits the neck 11 and provides a ferrule for the end of the handle.Preferably one edge of the shank 14 will be formed with a notch 18, andwhen the parts are assem- Serial No. 638,758.

bled, the ferrule will be struck inward in line with the said notch, soas to enter the same and bite into the neck on opposite sides of theshank, so as to firmly interlock the ferrule with the neck and lock theblade with the handle and ferrule. This combined for rule and fulcrum isreadily formed from a piece of tubing, and the blade, with its shank, isreadily struck up from sheetmetal, so that the parts may be produced ata very low cost for manufacturing.

In assembling, the ferrule is placed in position on the handle and thenthe shank of the blade inserted into the slot in the handle and drivenhome, the fulcrum, of course, being turned into proper relation with thehandle to cross the cutting edge of the blade. After the blade is drivenhome, the ferrule is struck downward to interlock the parts together.

I thus produce, at a very low cost for manufacture, a can openerprovided with a wooden handle and having great resisting power.

I claim:

1. A can opener comprising a wooden handle, a combined, tubular ferruleand fulcrum formed in one piece and applied to one end of the handle,and a blade having a shank extending through saidferrule and into theend of the handle.

2. A can opener comprising a wooden handle formed with a slotted neck, acombined, tubular ferrule andfulcrum formed in one piece and set oversaid neck, and a blade provided with a shank entering the slot in thehandle.

3. A can opener comprising a wooden handle formed with a slotted neck, acombined, tubular ferrule and fulcrum formed in one piece and set oversaid neck, a blade provided with a shank entering the slot in thehandle, said shank formed with a notch, and the ferrule indented in linewith said notch and into the neck of the handle, whereby said ferruleand blade are interlocked with the handle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN DONNELLY.

Witnesses:

M. E. HUNTINGTON, P. M. F. EIOHMANN.

